Mutchenda: Be there from the beginning

A children's Sunday school choir in Mutchenda, Malawi sings to demonstrate one of their main Sunday activities. (Photo: 2014 Lindiwe Bandazi/World Vision)

Child sponsorship is just getting started in Mutchenda, World Vision's newest community in Malawi!

Hundreds of children are newly registered and waiting for sponsors ... this week we want to find 100 founding sponsors to launch this new community!

Meet Mutchenda through our video, and read about the community's needs and the work that's already begun.

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Sponsorship is just getting started in the Mutchenda Community of Malawi, which suffers from a lack of income sources, limited health services, dirty water, and overpopulated classrooms. But the community has so much hope for what’s to come – they believe that their children deserve better.

One thing the community wants to improve is the spiritual development of their children. Reverend Thomson Chirwa is part of a pastor’s group in the community that works with World Vision to form Sunday schools and Bible clubs in the area.

“Most parents are not proactive in their children’s spiritual growth,” Reverend Chirwa explained. “They neglect to send them to Sunday school, but we are dealing with this challenge by counseling them and encouraging them to send their children to Sunday school regularly.”

And progress is being made. One example is 11-year-old Alick, who attends Sunday school weekly and is working on being able to recite the Bible verses. Alick also sings in the children’s choir.

“Sunday school helps me to learn about the Bible and know some of its verses. I also love to go to Sunday school because we sing so many nice songs,” he added.

Despite progress in this area, there is so much more to be done before the community will be a healthy place where children can thrive. The country of Malawi is one of the least developed countries in the world, with over half of Malawians living below the poverty line and many struggling with food insecurity. The ratio of people per water access point is 484 to 1 (the national standard is 250 to 1), and only about 15% of households have latrines with hand washing facilities.

World Vision is addressing these problems along with others by training families how to grow food year-round, providing skill training, supporting remote areas with healthcare services, drilling new water points, improving hygiene, and building additional schools.

Through sponsorship, children’s basic needs are starting to be met – but we need your help!

Open your heart to a child in need and you can be there from start to finish to witness the Mutchenda community’s remarkable transformation from poverty to fullness of life.